Rabbi H. E. Snyder was elected President of B’nai Brith Ernes Lodge of Springfield, Ill. For the first time in the history of this lodge both major offices will be filled by Rabbis: the Vice-President being the Orthodox Rabbi in this community.
The Nazi theory of race purity and race superiority which forms one of the chief weapons of their campaign against the Jews of Germany is struck a blow by Dr. Ernst Kretschmer, psychiatrist, famous professor of the University of Marburg.
Dr. Kretschmer, who attained a world wide reputation with his book, “Body Structure and Character,” repudiates the theory of racial superiority of the pure strain in an interview which appears in the German publication, “Die Woche,” which has reached this country.
There is no foundation for the allegation the more pure the race, the more genius, Dr. Kretschmer asserts.
Dr. Kretschmer writes an article in the German periodical “Die Woche,” which has just reached this country, entitled “Know Thyself,” in which he discusses race, race superiority, and mixed races. The Scherlverlag publishes the periodical and is in close connection with the National Socialist Party.
“The opinion,” Dr. Kretschmer writes, “that types of structure correspond to types of races are conclusively disproven by the comprehensive thorough investigations of Henkel, Weidenrauch and others. On the other hand it is highly likely that the various structural factors occur in different races and tribes in varying proportions, a fact by which certain differences of temperament in those different stocks may be explained.
“Very few race theories,” he asserts, “are free from political and romantic prejudices. We are today still very far from having enough material for a comprehensive racial psychology. But already today, we might say that the incidence of genius and cultural achievements are based on complex biological factors and are not at all the privilege of a certain race. The assertion: the more pure the race, the more genius and productivity, is false. It is true, fortuitous mixture of races is not favorable for cultural production; but it appears that certain good crossings of previously inbred stocks, might enhance the production of genius. I have in mind the invasion of the Germans into Italy in times of migration of nations; it is very probable that also the high standard of Babylonian Assyrian culture must be attributed to such repeated invasion,” Dr. Kretschmer asserts.
Rabbi H. E. Snyder was elected President of B’nai Brith Ernes Lodge of Springfield, Ill. For the first time in the history of this lodge both major offices will be filled by Rabbis: the Vice-President being the Orthodox Rabbi in this community.
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